1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a semiconductor device manufacturing method.
The present invention for example is effectively utilized in batch type vertical diffusion CVD apparatus for forming CVD films such as metallic films and insulation films or diffusing dopants on semiconductor wafers (hereinafter called “wafers”) on which semiconductor integrated circuits containing semiconductor elements are formed.
2. Description of Related Art
The batch type vertical diffusion CVD apparatus (hereinafter called “batch CVD apparatus”) serving as one example of the substrate processing apparatus handles multiple wafers while stored in a storage container.
The storage container of the conventional art includes open cassettes and FOUP (front opening unified pods. hereinafter called “pods”)
The open cassette is formed in a cubic parallelpiped box shape with a pair of open sides facing each other.
The pod is formed in a cubic parallelpiped box shape, along with being open on one side is fitted with a freely attachable and detachable door (lid) on the open side.
If the pod is utilized as a wafer storage container, then the wafers are transferred while in a sealed state. Therefore, wafer cleanliness can be maintained even if particles or other matter are present in the atmosphere. The purity within the clean room where the batch CVD apparatus is installed therefore need not be set to a high level so that costs required for the clean room can be reduced.
The latest CVD batch apparatus therefore utilize pods in the storage container.
A batch CVD apparatus using pods contains a pod opener and closer device (hereinafter called “a pod opener”) and a mapping device in a load port where the wafers are loaded into the pod or unloaded from the pod (See for example the patent document 1).
The pod opener is a mechanism for opening and closing the wafer loading and unloading opening of the pod by attaching the door onto the wafer loading and unloading opening of the pod or removing the door from the wafer loading and unloading opening of the pod.
The mapping device is a mechanism for sensing wafers within the pod and detecting whether or not wafers are being held in the respective wafer holding grooves (slots) within the pod.
Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Non-Examined Publication No. 2003-7801
In batch CVD apparatus of the conventional art, the pod door cannot be attached or removed in the load port for carrying pods into the case of the batch CVD apparatus from the outside the device (outside the case), and carrying out pods from inside the case.
In order to attach or detach the pod door in the load port, a structure was conceived that allows the pod opener to retreat in the load port. In other words, a path is provided for carrying the pod in or carrying the pod out, by retreating the pod opener from the load port when carrying the pod from outside the case to inside the case, and when carrying the pod from inside the case to outside the case.
However, this structure possesses the problem that the batch CVD apparatus is complicated because the pod opener must be retreated from the load port.